Details

Obverse

Bust of the Virgin holding her hands before her, palms outward. Sigla: ̅ΘΥ̅ : Μήτηρ Θεοῦ. Within a border of dots, part of a circular inscription visible:

ΤΣΔ

Θεοτόκε βοήθει τῷ σῷ δούλῳ

Reverse

Inscription of five lines. Border of dots.

ΘΕΟΠΕΜΠΤΟΕΠΙΣΚΟΠˊΛΑΚ....ΜΟΝΙΑ, 

Θεοπέμπτο ἐπισκόπῳ Λακεδαιμονίας

Translation

Θεοτόκε βοήθει τῷ σῷ δούλῳ Θεοπέμπτο ἐπισκόπῳ Λακεδαιμονίας.

Mother of God, help your servant Theopemptos, bishop of Lakedaimonia.

Audio

Commentary

The name Theopemptos is found (no. 11) in the synodikon. He is attested in 998 (Life of Saint Nikon, 116, cf. 285-86).

Lakedaimonia (modern Sparta) was functioning as a bishopric by the middle of the 5th century; it became the suffragan first in order of Patras sometime between 802 and 806 and exercised authority in Arcadia. It was established as a metropolis in 1082/83. We have the list of the bishops (synodikon) of Lakedaimonia from the mid-9th to the late 12th centuries, published and discussed by R. J. H. Jenkins and C. Mango (DOP 15 [1961] 235-42) and by V. Laurent (REB 19 [1961] 208-26); cf. Gouillard, Synodikon, 112-13, 277-78.